Over 800 colour photographs

• This practical manual is aimed at all sailors, from newcomers to the more experienced. For beginners there is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to getting started, learning the core techniques, choosing the best boat to suit your ability, and the basic safety requirements. There is also a guide for experienced seafarers who want to move on to more advanced sailing, such as high performance dinghies. With an emphasis on the practical, together with clear action photography and informative text, this book will be an essential guide for all those who love to get out on the water.



• The ultimate reference book for sailors of all ages and all levels of ability



• Step-by-step guides give instant understanding of techniques, and illustrate all aspects of the sport from putting on a wetsuit to rigging a dinghy, launching a catamaran and coping with capsizes



• Learn how to sail with expert advice and tips



• Special sections give the vital facts and figures about regatta and big boat racing



• Clothing and equipment - what you need, when and where



• Includes information on all aspects of safe sailing: buoyancy aids, distress signals, man overboard rescue procedures and rights of way at sea



• 800 specially comissioned photographs combined with authoritative text makes this essential reading for everyone interested in the sport of sailing

Sailing is an exhilarating, demanding and hugely enjoyable pursuit. The basics can be learned within days; from there a lifetime's worth of experience awaits.

The first section, Dinghy Basics, looks at getting started on small open boats: where to learn, clothing and equipment; where and when to sail, and getting to know your boat and its components. Once in the water, the section on Dinghy Sailing Techniques and Catamaran Sailing Techniques teach you how to handle single- and double-hulled rigs successfully. The core techniques - launching, rigging, tacking, gybing, capsize and rescue, and more - are all clearly explained and illustrated.

Racing and Regatta Sailing is directed at sailors wanting to move on to more advanced, high-performance dinghies and catamarans, and includes information about racing at both club and national levels. The gallery section on Dinghy and Catamaran Classes provides a guide to a selection of the most popular dinghy and catamaran types found today.

Keelboat Basics and Keelboat Sailing Techniques and Classes enters the realm of big boats: how to sail them, how to cruise on them, and how to race them. An in-depth look includes a visual gallery of both cruising and racing yachts, and a guide to classic racing events.

An emphasis on the practical, with clear step-by-step photography and text, makes this book an essential guide for both beginners and experienced sailors.

About the Authors

Jeremy Evans - Author

Jeremy Evans is a yachting and action sports journalist of many years standing. He is a regular contributor to Yachts & Yachting, and in the past has edited top magazines on sailing, windsurfing and powerkiting. He has also written and produced books on a variety of pursuits that include windsurfing, cycling, mountain-biking, canoeing, skiing, surfing and, of course, sailing. Jeremy has sailed and raced many different yachts and dinghies both at home and abroad. He maintains a notably simple family fleet – a Topper and a 40-year-old Mirror, which graced the 1970 London Boat Show.

Richard Langdon - Photographer

Richard Langdon established Ocean Images in 1988, now one of the leading yachting picture agencies. his clients include Nacra and Laser, to name a few, and he has covered numerous prestigious yachting events including the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Richard, always pushing for new ideas and angles in yachting photography, can often be seen floating by a leeward mark, camera in hand.